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About this project

UPDATE - Part 2 of the documentary is now available right here! Part 1 is the main Kickstarter video.

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The above video (the main Kickstarter project video) is Part 1 of the documentary that Brandon Roudebush is creating about us. The video directly below this text is our original Kickstarter video. If you want to know more about us, feel free to watch both! When the next installments of the documentary are released, they'll be featured here as well.

UPDATE! - All those who back this project at the $100 level or above will receive a physical copy of the documentary - "Building A Brewery" - when it is completed.

Oh, hey there! We're Reclamation Brewing Company and we brew very tasty beverages.

Since starting our company, we've had one big goal... make ridiculously delicious beers for our community. We've done tastings, perfected our recipes, served our beer at weddings, completed the required legal work to start a business, and know that we have the brewing & business skills in order to succeed. So that we are able to allow more of you try more of our beers, we need some help expanding our operations and opening a tap room and brew pub.

How can you help? Here are just a few ways...

The easiest way is just to back us monetarily. Plain and simple. We'll even give you something back in return (see rewards)

Beg all of your friends to give us their money. If you do it right, all of your friends will hate you for bothering them too much. But what's more important - Your life-long friends? Or tasty beer? Think about it.

Contact every media outlet in a 6 hour radius of you and tell them about how important we are to you. Then get them to collect money so you can give it to us. (Money is a pretty important theme here if you didn't catch that little fact)

Sell most of your possessions, live in your car, and direct your income towards this project. But do it quickly, this campaign only lasts for 30 days!

Rob a bank, escape from the police, launder the money (quickly, of course), create multiple bank accounts in which to deposit the money, and then direct it to us. We aren't proponents of breaking the law... but desperate times call for desperate measures.

There are plenty more ways you can help, but we recommend backing us through this campaign...

Increase the size and capacity of our equipment

Secure a larger location to produce and distribute our beer

Complete necessary registration and licensing requirements

Open a tap room where our beers will be available to enjoy

Kickstarter is pretty simple. We submit a project (in this case, expanding our brewery) and people (we hope you) pledge money towards the project. In return, we offer them some cool rewards made locally - make sure to see those rewards below or on the right side of the screen. If enough people pledge to help get us to our goal, Kickstarter takes a small cut, and gives us the rest. If we don't reach our goal, we get nothing and you aren't charged a dime.

Here are a few things...

Too frequently, the beer culture gets a bum rap. Although we’ve
made some progress, we haven't yet fully recovered from the negative light that was cast upon us during the era of Prohibition. We’re
striving to educate people about beer and its history. We want to help elevate the
beer culture above the idea that beer drinking is only at home in some seedy subculture. Along with many fellow craft brewers, we’re striving to see people
informed about the delight and deliciousness of carefully crafted beers.
We want to expose their palates (physical and intellectual) to a more tasteful beer experience.

In days gone by, the pub was a place for
the community to gather, make connections, share ideas and perspectives, discuss
the world, and to have a great time together. When the founders of Reclamation
Brewing Company visited Ireland in the spring of 2011, we noted that this was
still the case in many small towns and villages. Our vision for the tap room
and brew pub is that it will be a place where people can experience community,
enjoy conversation, and discuss life and all things beer. If all you want to do
is sit quietly and enjoy your deliciously handcrafted beer or even just grab a
growler and head home, that’s cool too. We also want to invest in our community
by using local merchants, craftsmen, suppliers, and business partners whenever
possible. Even the rewards for your help with this project, our graphics and
video work, and other things necessary for this campaign have been sourced locally
to the best of our abilities. Also, at least 10% of all profits (and more than
that when at all possible) generated by Reclamation Brewing Company will be
donated to local charity. We want to be part of the long and distinguished
history of brewing in America, and more specifically, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
We want to see western Pennsylvania become a Mecca of craft brewing that
attracts people from near and far to experience the satisfying flavors of
artistically crafted local beers.

John and Ben Smith in Egan's Pub - Liscannor, County Clare, Ireland (Photo by Ben Duncan)

Yep! A theology of beer! The fact that
you might be shocked we included this category is proof we should include it. The founders of Reclamation Brewing Company all happen to be
followers of Jesus Christ and also happen to be brewers of quality beers. This
may seem to be a contradiction in some people’s minds. But in reality, it’s
not. We believe that beer is among the many good gifts with which God has
blessed mankind. You don’t have to believe that to enjoy a good beer, but we
would love to tell you why we do if you so desire. Basically, we’re persuaded
that although the Bible condemns the abuse of alcohol, it doesn't condemn its
proper use. In fact, we think it often commends it and appeals to an abundance
of alcohol as evidence of God’s favor! Jesus’ first public miracle was turning
water into fine wine. We believe this is just one of many Scriptural evidences
that there is no incompatibility between being a Christian and enjoying a good beer. We believe that the Bible and history (from David in the Psalms
to Jesus at the wedding in Cana to Martin Luther to the Baptist Pastor and distiller,
Elijah Craig) confirm that there isn't any contradiction between enjoying a
tasty brew and being a follower of Christ. Once again, we don’t think you need
to believe this to appreciate good beer, but we’d be happy to continue the conversation
over a pint!

Rendering of Martin Luther, great reformer and theologian, with a beer!

The potential combinations which are available to brewers to produce flavors
that delight and intrigue the palette are seemingly endless. Not only do we at
Reclamation Brewing Company enjoy drinking a finely crafted beer, we also enjoy
creating them. Our desire is to continue and expand the tradition of innovation
for which craft brewers are known. From our high gravityPromised Land Ale to
our Egan’s Irish Whiskey Barrel
Stout (A.K.A.
“JEALOUS!!!”- Ask us, we’ll be happy to tell you the story), to our Carey Me Home Double IPA and beyond (Bloody
Mary, or White Sangria Ale anyone?), we strive to be innovators
of new styles as well as new twists on old ones which challenge the way people
think about and enjoy good beer.

Are you tired of asking for a beer only to hear that all the restaurant is
serving is garbage? Corporate, formulaic beer has been the norm (thank God that's changing) and we know we can do
better than that. People want more than just a buzz from their beer. They want
flavor! Along with other craft brewers, we are seeking to reclaim beer drinking
from the idea that it has to be a bland, boring, tasteless experience. We’re
committed to the idea that beer should be good and a pleasure to drink! At
Reclamation Brewing Company, we’re committed to using the finest, local,
quality ingredients and the most meticulous processes to produce the tastiest
and finest quality beers on the market. We’re not beer snobs; we just think
beer shouldn't be crap.

When we started sharing our beer with others, they said it was delicious and
that we should consider making it more widely available. We agreed, sharpened our recipes, refined our process, and began to increase our production. Then,
we began to consider making our brews available for sale on a regional basis.
The goal of opening a larger capacity regional brewery and brewpub was born.
Our desires are to increase the size and capacity of our equipment, secure a
location to produce and distribute our beer, complete the state and federal
licensing requirements, and open a brew pub and tap room. We anticipate the
brew pub and tap room being a place where our beers will be available to enjoy
in a friendly environment with knowledgeable servers whose goal is not to simply
sell beer, but to educate and inform others from novice to beer aficionado. We
hope you’ll help us!

Reclamation Brewery Company is owned by John and Ben Smith (father and son) and
longtime friend, Ben Duncan.

JohnSmith was
born and grew up in southwestern Ohio where he owned and operated a packaging
business before moving with his family to Jacksonville, Florida for Theological
training. John moved to western PA with his wife, Robbi, and his two children,
Ben and Ashley in 1997 where he has served as pastor of a local church since
that time.

Ben Duncan has loved beer for a long time. He attended high school in Dayton, PA and began working thereafter. He's worked in several different areas, most recently in quality control and estimating. He's an avid traveler, beer recipe master and he may even play you a tune on the guitar if you ask really nicely!

Ben (Dennis) Smith has always had a bit of a flare
for business and entrepreneurship. After high school Ben attended and
graduated from The Pennsylvania State University where he studied Business
Administration and Marketing. He currently lives in Western Pennsylvania with
his wife, Emily, where he works a day job while pursuing his Master's degree in Higher Education.

We began our drink production
together by making wine but quickly changed our focus to beer making as we
enjoyed the greater control of the process as well as the shorter time from
brew to bottle to consumption. We hope to share with you what we’ve learned as
you enjoy one of our tasty brews.

All of our rewards are listed on the side of course, but here are descriptions of a few just in case. (There are obviously more that you can see over on the right side of the screen. However, some are kind of hard to provide images of... like the stool, table, dinners, etc.)

Reward from Level 1 and above

Reward from Level 2 and above

Reward for Level 3.1 and above

Reward for Level 3.2 and above - Limited to 25

Reward for Level 4 and above

MugClub – Mug for Mug Club Members – Made by Stray Cat Studios in Beaver Falls, PA

We've got several beers we know you'll love. Keep in mind, these are just our full-timers. We've got plenty more ideas for seasonal beers!

Egan's Irish Stout - Dry, nutty, roasted coffee flavor, hints of caramel and toffee, moderate hop profile aged on a bed of oak chips that have been soaked in Irish whiskey. Light in body, but not lacking in flavor, give it a try and make your friends JEALOUS!!!

Spurgeon's Chocolate Milk Stout - Full bodied stout brewed with lactose, chocolate malt, oatmeal and a low hop profile help to accent the sweet, malty flavor of this brew. As it warms, it develops a caramel and coffee essence.

Promised Land Imperial Ale - Chilled, this is a light, refreshing ale with a slight citrus flavor. Given the time to warm, this brew really opens up and comes to life, revealing a warming malty, sweet flavor with a milk and honey finish. At 8.4% ABV, the Promised Land is calling you home.

White Sangria Ale - Moderately dry, but with some residual sweetness. White wine flavors reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Coriander along with lemon, lime and orange peel along with our special hop selection gives it a fruity character to compliment the grape overtones.

Carey Me Home Imperial IPA - Heavy hop presence, grapefruit, orange and tropical fruit aroma and flavor. Slightly darker than a typical IPA, some caramel sweetness. Weighing in at a full 10% ABV, this isn't a brew to take lightly. If you don't enjoy it in moderation, you'll need a friend or two to help you home!

Second Breakfast Brown Ale - In typical English brown ale fashion, this is a medium bodied brew that has a moderate hop profile that favors currant flavors. Specialty grains including oatmeal, honey, biscuit and chocolate malts along with the addition of Assam tea will leave you longing for breakfast all day long!

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Please be a part of making our
goal a reality. We hope you will help us make our beer available for more people to savor and to learn
that beer drinking ought to be enjoyed not simply endured.

You're giving us your money... we'll make sure we use it wisely!

If we exceed our goal of $35,000 we intend to get larger equipment, more furnishings and entertainment for the taproom, and (depending on how much extra we get) it will allow us to serve additional types of beer as well.

Remember - if we don't meet our goal of $35,000 - we get NOTHING and your card isn't charged.

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How To Back Us

1. Click "Back this Project" on the top right side of the screen.

2. Select your pledge amount, and your reward.

3. Sign into Kickstarter (it's free and easy to join if you haven't yet)

4. Sign into Amazon (it's also free and easy to sign up for an account if you haven't yet)

5. Feel great about yourself and tell everyone you know! Since we aren't there to give you a great big hug - feel free to hug yourself. We'll make up for it someday in person!

Risks and challenges

We have no illusions that this will be easy. We know that expanding and running a business is a lot of work. We’ve got the past experience, as well as the knowledge to make it happen.

Any time you work with the government, there can be unavoidable issues and hold-ups. A possible challenge is the fact that we have to depend on their schedule to get licensed in Pennsylvania before we can even start selling our tasty beers. In the time between making application and being approved, we’ll be paying the expenses on a building we can’t sell beer out of. However, we’ve talked to a ton of brewers and brewing companies to make sure we understand the correct procedures and get a good grasp on the timeline, so we should be alright on our end.

It’s possible that no one at all will like and buy our beers. We know that’s unlikely, especially with all the good feedback we’ve gotten thus far… but hey, it’s a possibility.

The most likely scenario is that we will have too high of a demand to keep up with! As a matter of fact, this is already happening! We aren’t complaining at all, of course… but it is something that will probably wear us out!

We'll be self-distributing our beers for a while. This will take up a lot of time and resources. On the bright side, we already have quite a few bars, restaurants and beer clubs interested in carrying our beers!

FAQ

We’re currently not able to sell our beer since we’re in the process of getting licensed. However, we do have quite a few tastings coming up in the near future (and adding more all the time) where you could taste our brews!

If you live in the lower 48 States of the US – nope! However, if you would like to pledge some additional money to help out with the shipping we would be greatly appreciative! It would help us get more use out of the money we raise.

If you’re from outside of the U.S. only some of our rewards are able to be shipped to you. We apologize for this. For the rewards we do ship, a $15 fee applies. Thanks for understanding.

Yes! We will have any physical rewards you’ve earned to you by the promised date. However, things like the invite to the opening and your own table at the brewery will depend on how long it takes the state government to license us - we hope you understand that it's all on their timeline! We don’t expect it to be too long though!

We’ll be located in Butler County, Pennsylvania – just a few miles up the road from Pittsburgh. We’re currently in discussions with several facilities about obtaining a space for our production and serving space. Expect us anywhere between Cranberry Township and Butler, PA.

Yes! That it definitely true! Our friend Brandon Roudebush (http://thatbrandonguy.com and @ROWD) is filming a short, three part documentary about the starting of a brewery and the process of launching a Kickstarter. We’ll post each segment of the documentary as an update on this page, as well as on our website and social media pages. Keep your eyes open! To our Backers – you get the first look a bit before everyone else!

Rewards

Pledge $5 or more

Level 0.5 - A postcard with our sincerest hand-written thank you. You'll also get your name on our website!

Estimated delivery:Jan 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $10 or more

12 backers

Level 1 - A Reclamation Brewing Company sticker and your name on a physical plaque to be displayed at the brewery! All backers get a free tour and recognition on our website with regards to the amount you pledged.

Pledge $25 or more

Pledge $50 or more

Level 3.1 - A Reclamation Brewing Company t-shirt, as well as all lower rewards!

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $50 or more

25 backers
All gone!

Level 3.2 - Early Bird Special! - Limited edition Reclamation Brewing Company t-shirt, as well as all previous rewards! This shirt will never be produced again!

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $75 or more

4 backers

Level 4 - A Reclamation Brewing Company growler! Of course, you get the lower rewards as well.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Only ships to: United States

You selected

Pledge $100 or more

19 backers

Level 5 - You're now part of the Reclamation Brewing Company Mug Club! ONLY those who back us on Kickstarter at this level or above will be part of the Mug Club! Mug Club members get their name on a special "Mug Club Wall" and their own mug to use any time they come to the brewery. These mugs are made by local artists at Stray Cat Studios in Beaver Falls, PA and will never be issued again! In addition, Mug Club members get a membership card (we all know you want to show your friends), periodic special offers, occasional free growler fills, discounts and all sorts of other stuff.

Oh yeah... you get all the lower rewards as well!

Estimated delivery:Apr 2013

You selected

Pledge $250 or more

5 backers

Level 6 - An invite for you and up to three of your friends to attend the grand opening of our new brewery. As the backer, you're entitled an exclusive tour for you and your friends, plus all of the lower rewards.

Estimated delivery:May 2013

You selected

Pledge $250 or more

2 backers

Business Owner Advertising Special - For $250, the name of your business will be displayed on a special sponsors plaque at the Reclamation Brewing Company location for a period of 2 years. At the end of the 2 years, we'll talk about optional, discounted renewal.

Estimated delivery:Mar 2013

You selected

Pledge $500 or more

4 backers

Level 7 - You get your own stool at the bar! If we're open and you're there, it's all yours. Someone else is using your stool? We'll ask them to move for you.

You'll also get a private tour, a private brewing lesson, a poster of the logo (we'll even sign it if you want), and all the other rewards! Yeah... this sounds like a preeeeetty good deal.

Estimated delivery:May 2013

You selected

Pledge $1,000 or more

0 backers
Limited (10 left of 10)

Level 8 - You'll get your own table for four (yes, in addition to the stool we're giving you as well) with your name on it. Bringing friends? Great. Just like to sit at large table all by yourself? Weird... but still great. Never worry about not having a place to sit - this table literally has your name on it.

You'll also get to pick the name of a small batch that we brew - in addition to all the other rewards!

Estimated delivery:May 2013

You selected

Pledge $2,500 or more

1 backer
Limited (4 left of 5)

Level 9 - Brewer for a day! You get to brew with us and help us create the recipe (we may even add it to our permanent line-up if we like it and you give permission). We'll send you home with some of your own recipe and throw in a custom tap handle for you too.

In addition, why don't we cook up an amazing steak dinner for you and a friend? While we're at it, let's throw in all the rewards from the previous levels as well!

Pledge $10,000

0 backers
Limited (1 left of 1)

Level 11 - This is some serious money, so we need a serious reward. How about we let you pick one of our year-round beers? That's right - you'll get to decide on a brew that we make and serve all year-round. You even get to name it (subject to some approval of course) and design the recipe.

We wouldn't dream of not giving you all the other rewards as well!

Estimated delivery:May 2013

Funding period

Oct 22, 2012 - Nov 21, 2012
(30 days)

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